Solution PJ.07-01 — AU Processes for Trajectory Definition

As specified in the latest FF-ICE Provisions: “The FF-ICE Planning Service is provided to facilitate ATM and operator planning for flights in airspaces where significant constraints exist, and/or where air traffic demand at times exceeds, or is expected to exceed, the declared capacity of the air traffic control services concerned. The Planning Service shall provide operational acceptability, applicable constraints and, when possible, viable alternatives in response to submitted flight plan information”
The request for the FF-ICE Planning Service is an option for the airspace user, but it is highly recommended when the flight is planned to traverse airspace of medium or high traffic complexity, or depart/land at airports having to manage high complexity departures and arrivals. It is also up to the airspace user to decide for which category of flights (short-haul, long-haul etc) will request the service, depending on the benefits that this will bring according to prior airspace user’s business analysis. The provision of the Planning Service introduces a new phase in the flight planning process where a preliminary flight plan is prepared in coordination, via a CDM process, with the Planning Service provider for operational acceptance prior to flight plan filing and distribution to the relevant ATC Units.
This solution is focusing on refining operational requirements for the Planning Service, so as to provide additional benefits to the Airspace Users for requesting the Planning Service from the Network Management Function, with the assumption that the Network Management Function will become the FF-ICE Planning Service Provider for the ICAO European Region.
This solution includes refining timing operational requirements for submitting preliminary flight plan desired 4D trajectory information to the Network Management Function, so as to improve the outcome of the ATFCM/ASM process for the benefit of the Airspace User.
This solution also includes detailing operational requirements for the provision of ATFCM measures/constraints, their impact on the Airspace User’s desired 4D trajectory and the expected behaviour from the Airspace User upon notification of this information and in particular if the Airspace User would like to engage in a 4D trajectory negotiation process.
This solution also analyses the provision of enriched DCB information like Hotspots and Congestion Level Indicators along alternative (negotiating) 4D trajectories that the Airspace User may submit to the Network Management Function during a 4D trajectory negotiation; this enriched DCB feedback could assist the Airspace User’s alternative 4D trajectory choice following a 4D trajectory negotiation.